Resilient wheel.



J. R. AYOTTE. RESILIENT WHEEL. APPLICATION FILED MAR.18, 1912.

1,080,621 Patented Dec. 9, 1913.

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Patented Dec. 9, 1913.

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AttnrncyS J. R. AYOTTE. RESILIENT WHEEL. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 18, 1912.

Patented Dec. 9, 1913 8 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Attorneys UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH RENE AYOTTE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO ALEXANDER AIRLESS AUTO WHEEL CO., OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OLE SOUTH DAKOTA.

RESILIENT WHEEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 9, 1913.

Application filed March 18, 1912. Serial No. 684,368.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH RENE: AYO'ITE, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Chicago, inthe county of Cook and State of Illinois,'have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Resilient Wheels; and I do hereby declare that the following description of m saidinvention, taken in connection with t e accompanying sheets of drawings, forms a full, clear, and exact specification, which will enable others skilled in the art to which my said invention appertains to make and use the same.

This invention has general reference to resilient wheels; and it consists, essentially, in the novel and peculiar combination of parts and details of construction, as hereinafter first fully set forth and described, and then pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings already referred to, which serve to illustrate this invention more fully, Figure 1 is an elevation of a vehicle wheel constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of one of the spokes of this wheel taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an elevation, partly in section, of the hub and several spokes, one of the side plates of the hub being removed. Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation of the major portion of the wheel, on line 4-4 of Fig. 3, the figure being drawn on an increased scale. Fig. 5 is an end view of one of the spokes as seen from the rimend thereof. Fig. 6 is a sectional view of said spoke, on line 66 of Fig. 2. Fig. 7 is a like View on line 77 of Fig. 8. Fig. 8 is an elevation of a resilientwheel in which the spokes are of slightly modified construction, one of the hub plates being removed to disclose the interior construction of the hub, two of said spokes being shown partly in section. Fig. 9 is a detail view of one end of the piston rod, illustrating a modified construction of the antifriction rollers connected thereto. Fig. 10 is a plan of the same. Fig. 11 is a detail view of said piston rod end, showing a further modification of said antifriction roller construction. Fig. 12 is a side elevation of Fig. 11. 4

Like parts are designated by the same; characters and symbols of reference in all} the figures. I

The object .of this invention is the produc-g tion of an efiicient, serviceable, and very: practical resilient vehicle wheel, which is upon the diameter of the rim, and the class I of vehicles on which the wheel isto be used.

C indicates the hub of this wheel, the bore 12, of which will be so constructed as to accommodate the spindle of the axle with, or Without, anti'friction bearings. This hub comprises a side plate 13, having an inwardly extending boss 14:, reduced in diameter at its end 15, and externally screwthreaded on this reduced portion to receive an oil cap D, of usual design. Spaced from this side plate 13, and centered upon the reduced portion 15, there is a further end plate 16, which is removably held to the hub by said oil cap D and bolts 17, as will hereinafter more fully appear. Medially between the side plates 13 and 16 the boss 14 has a circumferential groove 18, in which there is located a roller bearing 19, preferably comprising two split-rings 20, having spaced perforations to receive the journals of the anti-friction rollers 21.

The spokes B are of tubular construction, the bore 22 of which is cylindrical, said bore being internally screw-threaded at the end nearest to the hub. At the end nearest to the rim, each spoke has a shoulder 23, and an externally screw-threaded shank 24., there being in the rim A shouldered holes to receive the shouldered portion and the shank of said spokes, recesses 25, being formed in the rim to receive nuts 26, by which the spokes are secured to the rim.

: mentioned. There is in this bore of the spoke a spiral spring 29, which bears at one end upon the piston 27 ,and at "its other end elastic packing 32, and a further Washer 31, whereby a slightly yielding support for the spring is afforded to prevent rattling,

In the bore of each spoke there is a piston 27, snugl i on an abutment, comprising a washer 30, an e and for-other obvious purposes. Each of these Washers is a ring having preferably a central passage therethrough; and through the shouldered portion 23 and the shank 24 there is "a passage 33, the end of which is constructed to receive a screw-plug 34, serving as a means for introducing a liquid to the interiorof the spoke.

The piston comprises preferably two disks 35, 36, in spaced relation, between which is located apacking disk 37, a further packing ring 38, being located upon the piston rod 28 adjacent to the disk 35, to serve as an auxiliary packing, in an obvious manner. In order to properly guideithe piston rod 28 in the cylindrical bore of the spoke there is placed in the open, screw-threaded end of the spoke, a gland 39, and a head 40, as clearly shown in detail in Fig. 2, packing 41, being placed between the head and the gland to close the end of the cylinder in the manner of a stufling box; and, to prevent rapid wear of the bore of these two members 39 and 40, said bores are lined with hardened steel bushings 42, 43. 7 As shown in Figs. 3,4, and 8, the ends of the spokes B enter, the space of the hub between the side plates 13 and 16; and in brder to prevent dirt or other gritty matter from entering this space, there are formed at the inner margins of these plates flanges 44, 45, and in these flanges there are pockets 4G, in which there are located packing rings 50, surrounding the inner ends of the spokes, whereby the object in view isattained in an efiicient manner. Near two adjacent ends of the spokes within the hub, there are located antifriction' rollers 47, journaled upon the bolts 17 already mentioned, said antifriction rollers permitting of a slight lateral movement of the -spoke'ends in the hub, it being desirable not to make the connection between the spokes and the hub too rigid.

It will now be observed that the weight of the, load carried by the wheel is transferred to the hub of the same, which will cause the hub to move vertically up and down. This load is borne upon the springs of the lower half of the spokes, or in other Words by those spokes that are below the horizontal center line of the wheel, which springs are thereby compressed and thus impart the resiliency to the wheel. And in order to assist these springs in the carrying of said load, and at the same time to lubricate the sliding parts in the bore of the spoke, I introduce to this bore a preferably liquid lubricant, such as mineral oil, and fill the same approximately two-thirds full. Thus, when the space between the piston and the abutment is contracted by the move ment of the spoke, the air in the remaming space of the cylindrical bore of the spoke is compressed, which adds to the resistance offered to the movement of the spoke by said spring, and this resistance can be increased or diminished by a proper regulation of the amount of liquid poured into thespoke.

The external contour or shape of the spokes is a matter of choice. In Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive,I have shown spokes that are externa-lly square in cross section and provided with longitudinally disposed strengthening ribs 48; and in Figs. 7 and 8, I have illustrated spokes which are circular in trans verse section. Any other external contour of these spokes may, however, be selected as long as the spokes are provided with the cylindrical bore to receive the piston and the spring described. The construction of the antifriction device at the end of each piston rod is, likewise, a matter of selection, and in Figs. 9 and 10, I have illustrated one modification of the preferred construction, and in Figs, 11 and 12, I have shown another modification thereof. These devices are so obvious and plainly illustrated in the said figures that adetailed description thereof is deemed superfluous.

Having thus fully described this invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States- 1. A resilient wheel comprising a rim, a plurality of rigidly attached tubular spokes extending radially inwardly of said rim, a hub comprising an axial shank and a pair of spaced apart anges, the free ends of said spokes being located between said flanges, means on said flanges contacting with the exterior wall of each of said spokes at a plurality of points near the lower ends thereof, whereby driving force applied to said hub will be transmitted to said spokes at right angles to the axes thereof, plungers within said spokes having their free ends cont-acting with said axial shank, and compressible means in said spokes acting upon said plungers.

2. A resilient wheel comprising a rim, a hub possessed of an axial shank and an interior annular chamber surrounding said shank, there being a plurality of radial openings in the periphery of said hub, communicating with said interior chamber, a series of tubular spokes rigidly fixed to said rim, entering said openings and slidable therein, means within said chamber adapted to contact with the exterior wall of each of said spokes near the lower ends thereof, whereby driving power applied to said hub will be transmitted to said spokes at right angles to the axes thereof, plungers within said spokes having their free ends contacting with said axial shank, and compressible means within said spokes acting upon said plungers.

3. A resilient wheel including a hub comprised of a hollow axial shank and a pair of cup shaped disks thereon with their marginal edges abutting, one of said disks being formed integrally with said shank, means to maintain the other of said disks in position, there being radial openings in the periphery of said disks, a run, a lurality of tubular spokes rigidly attache to said rim, the free ends of said spokes entering said openings and being slidable therein, means between said disks cont-acting with the exterior wall of each of said spokes near the lower ends thereof, lungers in said spokes having their free ends contacting with said axial shank, and compressible means within said spokes acting upon said plungers.

4. In a resilient wheel, a hollow hub, said hub including side plates having inwardly extending marginal flanges, one of said side plates having a centrally located boss on which the other of said side plates is centered in spaced relatio eans For removably connecting said side plates including bolts, a series of spokes radiating from said hollow hub, a rim to which the outer ends of said spokes are removably secured, compression means in said spokes constructed to resist inward movements of said spokes in said hub, and a series of guiding rollers in said hub near the ends of said spokes said rollers being journaled upon said bolts between each two adjacent spoke ends.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

MICHAEL J. STARK, C. F. MCKAY. 

